Among the featured events each summer during Monterey Car Week is a gathering of German vehicles at the Legends of the Autobahn show. In 2021, a second such event is scheduled, this one in early November and on the country’s East Coast, as part of the Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival.
The concours and the Audi Club of North America, the BMW Car club of America and the Mercedes-Benz Club of America have announced a second Legends event for November 6, 2021 at the Port Royal Golf Club, where 160 German vehicles will be displayed.
“We were all so incredibly disappointed to have had to cancel our 2020 show,” said Lindsey Harrell, the Hilton Head Island Concours’ president. “But because of this, we’ve been able to shift our focus to building a spectacular event for next year. And to have this event already in the works for 2021 is beyond exciting and will be a great addition for our guests and our island.”
“Legends is a mainstay of the famed Monterey Auto Week,” added Frank Patek, BWM club executive director. “The founders of this landmark event agree that the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival and its acclaim is the best place to share our passion on the East Coast.”
The 19th annual Hilton Head event is scheduled to being October 22 with the Savannah Speed Classic and conclude November 5-7 with events at Hilton Head Island.
Zooming with Linda Vaughn
“Happy Hour with Linda Vaughn, First Lady of Motorsports” will be featured November 30 during Online Racing Industry Week, which runs from November 30 through December 4.
Throughout the week, 55 hours of technical and business webinars are being organized by EpartTrade.com, with Vaughn, famed for her role as Miss Hurst Golden Shifter, taking part in a happy-hour Zoom gathering at 5 p.m. (Pacific time) as the week begins.
Others committed taking part during the week include include Chip Ganassi, Bryan Herta, officials of the Indianapolis and Daytona race tracks, the SCCA, USAC, Formula D, NHRA, IMSA, SCORE and the NHRA.
For details, visit the industry week website.
Amelia Island adds special award
The 2021 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance will feature the presentation of the inaugural Rodolfo Junco de la Vega award in memory of the late car collector, who died in early October.
“Rodolfo was a tough newspaperman from Monterrey, Mexico,” writes concours founder Bill Warner. “He came to Jacksonville with his beloved wife Lillian for her care at The Mayo Clinic. He also found Jacksonville to be a city with, as he would put it, ‘a good car culture.’
“He arrived with his fabulous one-off 1953 Ferrari 212 by Ghia, along with a wonderfully diverse collection of significant cars. He’d purchased the car from the Ferrari factory in 1955 and endured the criticism of his father who once asked him ‘What in the hell do you want that thing for?’
“Rodolfo knew Enzo Ferrari personally and referred to him as ‘Old Gruff!’ (always with the exclamation point). And when his beloved wife wanted a blue Mercedes-Benz 300SL, he had his painted blue. He was a good husband, an exquisite provider, a superb host, an honest and forthright friend and very good company, in Spanish or English, especially if you were an honest car enthusiast.
“Even as Rodolfo approached his centenary, he was always happy – his distinctive laugh gave him away – to learn new things about old cars. A hands-on car guy, Rodolfo changed his own oil and did tune ups well into his nineties. He gave up driving at age 96, but that didn’t dampen his enthusiasm.
“Within the last year he had decided to organize his cars into a collection, a sort of personal museum with facts and research to back up the memories of an extraordinary life with exceptional cars. “
Luftgekühlt’s Road Atlanta showcase
Like so many car shows in the year of the coronavirus, Luftgekühlt, the spectacular gathering of Porsches held in unusual settings, had to change its plans. But that didn’t mean things weren’t happening.
For example, during the recent Petit Le Mans weekend at Road Atlanta, the Luftgekühlt team staged a stunning if socially distanced display of past Porsche Carrera Cup championship-winning cars.
The display of previous winners also celebrated the launch scheduled for 2021 of a Carrera Cup North America racing series.
Motor4Toys drive revs up
The 17th annual Motor4Toys charity toy drive has adjusted its format because of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead of the usual car show gathering, Dustin Troyer and his team ask people to drop off new toys to be given to California families in need from 7 a.m. until noon on December 6 at Porsche Woodland Hills. Donations also can be made through the www.motor4toys.com website.
Minis join E-Types at Shelsley Walsh
The 60th anniversary celebration of the Jaguar E-Type, scheduled for June 12-13, 2021, at the Shelsley Walsh Hill Climb venue in England, will become a celebration of the “Swinging Sixties,” organizers from the E-Type 60 Club say, noting that Minis will be included in a special homage to the 1969 release of The Italian Job.
The E-Type used in the film — repaired and restored since its battle with a bulldozer — will take part as will a trio of red, white and blue Mini Coopers and the original 6-wheeled bus from the movie.
Pop-Up update
Officials of the British Motor Show, who hope to create interest in their August 19-22, 2021, event with a series of pop-up preview events, report that nearly 18,000 people visited their showcase at Festival Place, Basingstroke, during its first two weeks.
That show has been closed temporarily because of a surge in England of the coronavirus, but is scheduled to re-open December 2 and will now be extended through January. Show officials report they already have three other venues lined up for 2021.
The Pop-Up events are free and feature classic cars, retro electric cars and new vehicles.
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